


FLUKE or Love Doesn’t Care About Circumstance, Man

by Haggsy



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Awkward Sexual Situations, Basketball Player Rhett, Fluff and Humor, I don’t want to spoiler it with the tags, M/M, Online Dating, Texting, nerd link, very awkward
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:53:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22580551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haggsy/pseuds/Haggsy
Summary: fluke, a (noun): -something good that has happened that is the result of chanceinstead of skill or planning-a win against the oddsLink is nervous when it comes to dating, so he decides to try his luck with a dating app.He seems to have found the perfect guy, but sometimes it just isn’t as simple as that.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 37
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am writing in British English. I’ve tried to avoid British terms, but I’ve never been to the US so if something in this fic seems not quite right to American readers, this is the reason.
> 
> Enjoy!

Ping

_You have a new conversation. Click to see if you’ve just met destiny!_

Link frowned at his phone screen. He had chosen this app to avoid that kind of immature, gimmicky patter, but apparently one couldn’t really escape it on his quest for love online.

Link had looked at dozens of the multitude of different dating apps and platforms which were out there before he’d settled on _FLUKE_. He liked the simple, almost retro-style design of it, and it was one of the few where he didn’t have to set up a social-media account beforehand. However in the end the decision had been purely based on the name of the app; it was the only one that didn’t use a silly spelling variety of a pseudo-romantic word like _Lovoo_ or _Sparclin_.

The concept of _FLUKE_ was simple: Users typed in their age and location, as well as their sexual preference. The programme then randomly chose two matching profiles and created a private chat room for them.

No pictures, no filters and no generic profile bios. Every detail of the chat partner’s character had to be figured out slowly and personally, and if you got extremely lucky, you might meet the love of your life.

Link liked the idea of it. It felt natural, as if he was just going into a bar and sitting down next to a complete stranger. Maybe you clicked instantly, because you’re rooting for the same football team or you liked the same weird crisps flavour; then you could stay and get to know each other. Or maybe you noticed that you weren’t well suited after a few minutes, then you could just walk away and look for someone else.

Even though he didn’t see the person unless they decided to exchange pictures, it felt more intimate and face-to-face to Link than other apps he’d seen. With all the photoshop programmes you could get these days, pictures didn’t tell you much about what other people really looked like anyway.

At first, he had been hesitant about looking for a partner online, because it was embarrassing and he felt at least ten years too old for it. But when he thought back to the many times he’d tried to walk up to someone in a bar or a club or even the grocery store, he had to admit that those encounters had been embarrassing too.

Link just wasn’t cut out for flirting. He needed time to think about what to say, and he’d hoped that the anonymity of a website could help him with that.

Link unlocked his phone and opened _FLUKE_. So far, he’d had three matches, according to his preferences all men about his age. The first one had seemed like a nice guy, and they’d texted back and forth for about ten minutes before the other one had revealed that he hated Star Wars, a definite no-go for Link. He knew that he should feel stupid to reject someone just because of a film, but he didn’t regret it.

The second one had started with “ _whaz up, doll_ ”, prompting Link to close their chat immediately. The last match had been a total disaster, because he’d really liked the man, and they’d chatted for a few days before his match had admitted that he was actually married with kids and only looking for an affair. For a second, Link had considered it, but then he’d texted the guy that he wanted something else and they’d stopped texting.

After that he’d been so frustrated that he’d almost deleted the app from his phone. Four was, however, one of his lucky numbers, so he had forced himself to try it just once more.

He looked at his phone screen, the background of the new chat room still dark and empty. As soon as one of them would write a message, it would appear in bright letters, the font reminding Link of the ones that had been used on computers back in the 90s.

This font was by far his favourite feature on _FLUKE_. When Link had set up his account, he’d been asked to choose a colour from a range of at least one hundred different shades. He’d spent five minutes on clicking between the colours, torn between a vibrant magenta pink and deep cyan. In the end he’d opted for the blue shade because he didn’t want to come off as too girly (another thing he should have felt stupid for).

_Hello, how are you?_

Link stared at the letters that had appeared on his screen. Their orange colour was glowing against the black background. Or was that ochre? Sun yellow? It was pleasant; it reminded him of the hills outside the city, of rich soil and nature.

He tried to think of a response. The beginning of a chat was always uncomfortable, because everything just sounded either forced or childish. _Hello, how are you?_

That was nice. The guy obviously knew how to spell and use commas, and he asked how Link was. Link felt excitement bubble up in his stomach, but then he scolded himself for getting his hopes up so quickly. The man had asked him how he was, not to marry him. Link decided to go simple and wrote:   


_Hello  
I’m fine, thanks for asking_

Link looked at his blue-green message and wondered if he should write something more when another orange line popped up.

_I like your colour. Reminds me of the sea when you’re swimming near the coast_

What was he supposed to answer to that? It wasn’t like he’d created that colour by ripping it out of the ocean or something, he’d simply clicked on his phone screen to select it.

_Um, thank you, I guess? Yours is nice too  
Warm_

_Thanks :) Tell me something about yourself_

_What do you want to know?_

_I dunno  
I already know your favourite colour, so maybe…  
Your favourite movie?_

Oh, this was easy. Link loved movies. He wondered if he should lie, because he didn’t want to scare Mr Warm Orange off with his geekiness, but then he thought that it would be better to be honest and just see how it went.  


_Star Wars_

he typed. The response was almost immediate.

_I_ _love Star Wars!  
  
_

_I know it’s a bit geeky_

_Come off it man, these are classics  
I mean, there’re some freaks in the fandom, but_   
_Dang, are you a freak?  
I mean an enthusiast  
I’m sorry_

Link had to smile. The man seemed to be just as nervous about this as he was. He let a few moments pass before he replied, using the time to shove a frozen pizza in the oven. It was Sunday noon, and he was too lazy to go out for lunch or cook something. Besides, he wanted to keep chatting to his match.

_I’m not a freak, no need to apologise  
Definitely an enthusiast though, if you count graphic tees as enthusiasm _

_Nah, that’s just style man ;)_

_So, what’s your favourite, epic sci-fi aside?_

_I’d rather not say_

_Why?_

_You’re gonna laugh_

_You didn’t laugh at Star Wars, did you?  
Come on, it’s only fair_

_Okay okay  
I like Disney_

_  
_

_Star Wars is Disney_

_No, I mean real Disney._ _Princesses and stuff_

_Hello? Are you still there_

Link had put the phone down on his kitchen counter top for a second while he laughed out loud. He didn’t laugh at Mr Orange, or at least not only. He was just incredibly relieved that he didn’t have to pretend to be cool from now on. Compared to a guy who liked Cinderella, he was Tom Cruise. (Not that he hadn’t watched all the old cartoons himself once or twice, mind you.)

Link picked up his phone again.  


_Still here, sorry_

  
He couldn’t let it go without a joke, though.

_  
Could you please confirm that you’re an actual adult though?  
Would be awkward to find out I’m chatting to a twelve year old girl_

_Haha :(  
I’m 34  
What about you, Mr Cool Star Wars Tee?  
_

_I’m 35_

The timer on his oven beeped, and L went to take his pizza out. He hadn’t really noticed the time going by. He couldn’t believe how well this was going. A few minutes ago he’d been so nervous, and now he was joking and laughing with this stranger. 

He put his lunch on a plate and sliced it before taking it with him to the couch. There was already a string of new orange messages glowing on the screen. 

_Since we’re at actual facts now, would you be comfortable with telling me your name?  
Can’t keep calling you Mr Star Wars Tee  
I’m Rhett, by the way_

There was no risk in telling this guy his name. Everyone shared their name and often even a contact address on the internet.

_My name is Link_

_Pleasure to meet you, Link :)_

They chatted some more, and Link found out that Rhett was not only a Disney-fan, but also a construction engineer and a terrible cook. They talked about their jobs for a while, Link being an electronics engineer, and he was so lost in the bright letters on his phone that he was shocked to see that it was already past three when he looked up at his kitchen clock.

_I’m sorry, I have to go  
I have to work_

Link hated to end their conversation just then, but he had to hand in an assignment the next morning and he wasn’t even half finished with it.  
He wasn’t sure what to say. Should he ask Rhett if they could talk again? This wasn’t a first date or something, but he was nervous that the other man might not have enjoyed their chat as much as he had. Maybe he was bored by Link and was too polite to admit it? But before his mind could go down this path, there was already a new message.

_Oh okay  
Listen  
Would you like to keep this chat open?  
You can say no, it’s just  
I really enjoyed this, and I’d like to keep in touch_

_Yes!_

Not so eager, you idiot, Link thought. He quickly added  


_I’d like that  
I enjoyed talking to you too_

_Cool  
Talk to you tomorrow, then?  
_

_Yeah_

_Bye_

_Bye_

_  
_

Link closed the app, but he was sure that he wouldn’t be able to focus on any work that day.

_—-------_

The next day at work Link was fidgety and restless. He couldn’t wait to get home and talk to Rhett again. He’d considered sending him a message the last night when he’d had finished his work, but he was afraid that he might come off as clingy. Link didn’t want to mess this up. He didn’t remember the last time he’d felt so at ease with another person, or even the last time he’d been anxious to talk to someone. 

He couldn’t tell if it was just their shared sense of humour or something else, but something about Rhett just felt right. Natural. Relaxed. Like they’d known each other for much longer than a day, which was a crazy thought considering Link didn’t even know what R looked like.

He decided to ask him for a picture when he’d chat with him later.

At home after work he sat down with a light beer and went straight onto _FLUKE_. 

_Hey_

he typed into the chat, hoping that Rhett had time. The reply came only about five minutes later, but they seemed like an eternity to Link who was fretting over his stupid _Hey_.

_Hey  
How are you?_

There it was again, that small question that Link got asked at least ten times every day, but somehow it felt much more significant coming from this man. Like he genuinely wanted to know whether Link was all right, like he was concerned about him. It made him feel fuzzy on the inside.

_I am good, thank you  
What about you?_

_I’m fine :)  
Just tired from work_

_  
  
Um, I wanted to ask you something  
Have you already done this before?_

_You mean online dating?  
Only once or twice   
Why do you ask _

  
  
_It’s only that I’ve never really done this_  
 _I’m not sure what to do next_

_What would you like to do?_

  
  
_Could we exchange pictures?_   
_I’d like to know what you look like_

_Sure_

_What do you think I look like? ;)_   


The truth was that even though Link was curious, he hadn’t really thought about how Rhett would look. Of course he’d created a mental image of him, as you’d do with everyone you talk to through the phone. But by now it was still blurry and mostly just the same warm colour as Rhett’s font.

_I dunno_

_Okay, I’ll send a pic_

Link quickly opened his own picture folder, looking for a photo of himself he didn’t absolutely hate. He’d changed his hairstyle not long ago, replacing the floppy cut he’d had for a decade with a stylish swoop that accented his grey streaks.

Finally he found a picture of himself standing in front of a neutral background, smiling softly into the camera. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do.

Okay, 1, 2, 3

{file.png}

{file.png}

Link had tried to convince himself that it didn’t matter if Rhett was good-looking or not, that it was enough that he was pleasant and funny; but he still let out a sigh of relief, followed by an embarrassing little squeal, when he saw the picture his chat partner had sent.

It showed a man sitting on a sofa, only his head and shoulders visible due to the selfie angle.  
He had dark blond hair that seemed messy, but at a second glance Link noticed that it must’ve been carefully styled to look like that. His long beard was the same colour as his hair, and he had a wide, slightly goofy smile on his lips.

He was very attractive, and Link couldn’t believe his luck. There were millions of men in the city and he had managed to find one that was funny, liked Star Wars and looked like a lumberjack.

Link’s phone buzzed the exact moment he’d sent a reply.

  
_Your eyes are just as blue as I thought they were I like your beard_

_Why did you think my eyes are blue?_

  
_Just a hunch_   
_You like my beard?_

_Yeah, it looks soft_   
_Is blue good?_

_Very good_   
_And the silver in your hair is hot_   
_…_   
_I’m sorry, that was too straightforward_

Link jumped up from the sofa and did a little dance around his coffee table. He picked up his baffled dog Mack and lifted him above his head.

“The handsome man said your daddy is hot, Mack, he thinks daddy is hot!” he sang, pressing his nose into the spaniel’s red fur.

Mack yelped and tried to jump down, obviously unimpressed by some stranger complimenting his owner. Link put him back on the floor and went back to his phone, a grin on his face.

He looked at the picture again. He couldn’t really tell anything about Rhett’s body by it. Was he tall or small? Was he toned or sturdy? 

_Hey, how tall are you?_  
 _I’m 6’_

It took Rhett a couple of minutes to reply.

_I guess I am about 6’7, if I’m standing_

If he was standing? What was that supposed to mean, who would measure themselves lying down?

Link tried to push the weird phrasing off his mind and replied something flattering about Rhett’s height. He couldn’t let it go however, so he asked Rhett what he’d meant with his remark.

There was no answer for a while, and Link was about to close the app and start on his dinner when a web link popped up on his screen. It said nwba.org/players/rm. Rhett gave no further explanation, so Link opened it, frowning. 

The letters on the top of the website said ‘Rhett McLaugh, California Rollers, center’.

He scrolled down and there was a professional photo of Rhett holding a basketball; beard, messy hair, smile— it was all there, only that he wasn’t sitting on a couch.

Rhett was sitting in a wheelchair.

  
Link’s brain didn’t catch up with it at first. He thought ‘Oh, he plays basketball’ and ‘The colour of that jersey is ugly’ before he realised what he was looking at. Rhett was in a wheelchair. Rhett was disabled.

Link’s heart jumped in panic for a split second. What did that mean for him? What was he supposed to say now? He didn’t know any wheelchair users. Of course he’d met a few, on the street or at concerts or sports events, but he’d never really talked to any of them. He often felt slightly uncomfortable around people with disabilities, not because he was prejudiced, but rather because he was always afraid to make a mistake. He was so scared to offend someone that he just decided not to say anything.

And what disability did Rhett have? Was he physically disabled or also—?

Link mentally slapped himself.

His mind was going down all kinds of strange paths, and he needed to stop. 

So Rhett couldn’t walk. What did that change for Link? He’d still met a funny, interesting and good-looking guy. Rhett was the one who’d joked about his graphic tees, the one with an adorable fondness for animated princesses and lovely big eyes.  
  
Link wondered what he should say. Should he acknowledge the fact that Rhett had a disability, or would it be better to ignore it? Link didn’t feel the need to talk about it. He almost wished they could just go back to talking about movies and food, leaving the other topic for later.

He typed and deleted his reply to Rhett at least a dozen times before sending it. It felt stupid and awkward, but he didn’t want to let the other one wait any longer.

_You play basketball in the national association? You gotta be good_

_We can talk about my disability, if you want_   
_You don’t have to pretend it’s not there_

_I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you_

_You didn’t_   
_I hope you’re not angry?_   
_I wanted to tell you from the beginning, but we talked about other stuff and then you had to go_

  


_I’m not angry Rhett_

_Is there something you’d like to know?_   
_You can ask me anything_

_Okay_

_Will you have dinner with me?_


	2. Friday Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Rhett meet for the first time, and they figure some things out.

The week went by in a stream of orange and cyan blue messages. Link spent practically every free minute on his phone, texting about everything and nothing. Sometimes he and Rhett kept chatting until after midnight, neither of them wanting to say goodbye. In the morning Link woke up to a message from Rhett, asking how he’d slept. 

Then they described each other in minute detail what they were doing, from outfit choice to breakfast cereal. Link loved his job, but this week he counted the hours until it was finally time to go home to _FLUKE_. He couldn’t wait for Friday, to finally meet Rhett in person. They’d considered exchanging phone numbers in order to call each other, but Link had said that he’d prefer to have a ‘raw’ first impression on their date. 

It was strange that he knew so much about Rhett, his family in N C, his dog, his favourite books and music but he didn’t even know what his voice sounded like.  
Unintentionally, Link had pushed the fact that his chatting partner was disabled entirely off his mind. They hadn’t mentioned it since that moment on Monday, and there was really no reason for him to think about it. From what Rhett had told him Link could infer that he lived on his own, he had a pet, he had a normal job, and unlike Link he even had a car.

He didn’t want to ignore this part of Rhett, he just… wanted to figure this out slowly, wanted to treat this guy with impartiality.

On Friday afternoon he took off from work early, leaving him plenty of time to get ready and go for a stroll with Mack. Link tried to exercise the spaniel as much as possible, but Mack still hadn’t lost more than two pounds since he’d adopted him from the shelter over a year ago. The previous owners had kept the poor thing indoors all his life, which had led to a severe obesity. His veterinarian had said that it was unlikely for a dog that had been overfed for so long to get back to a healthy weight, but Link tried anyway.   
Of course the deformed hip which made Mack wobble rather than walk didn’t help matters, but it made for a couple of really cute videos of the small dog crashing into furniture and staring up at Link with a surprised look on his face.

When Link got home from the walk he took a quick shower and started the inevitable procedure of trying out at least six different outfits. Rhett had told him to pick a restaurant, and Link had decided on a French place near the beach he’d been to once or twice when his mom had visited him. It wasn’t terribly fancy, rather bistro-style than haute cuisine; the food however was amazing and the atmosphere cozy.

He tried on a suit _(too natty)_ , a graphic t-shirt _(too casual)_ and in a fit of panic even a pair of beach shorts _(what the heck is wrong with you?)_

In the end he went with a pair of dark jeans, a button-up and a blue cardigan that he hoped would bring the colour of his eyes out. He took his time shaving and styling his hair; he even polished his glasses and checked his appearance in the hall mirror at least four times before leaving his house.

The Uber drive didn’t take long, even despite the traffic. Link didn’t like to admit it, but he was incredibly tense. He kept readjusting his glasses, a nervous habit of his, and repeatedly checked his breath.  
He realised that this whole online-dating thing had not solved his problem at all. It had merely postponed the moment when Link was forced to be flirty and spontaneous and witty.

It was just so hard, and he envied those people to whom it seemed like a second nature. Link just got all giggly and embarrassing whenever he liked someone, and he could always feel the other person losing interest a few minutes into the conversation. It hurt.

“Everything all right, buddy?” the Uber driver asked over his shoulder. “You seem a bit queasy.”

Oh god, how was he going to impress his date when even this complete stranger noticed there was something off?

“No, thanks, I’m good.” Link took a breath, _in, out,_ and again, _in, out._ This was going to be great. They had already skipped the awkward small talk, hadn’t they? Rhett had —hopefully— already realised that Link was a bit nerdy and shy, just as Link knew that Rhett was goofy and held strange opinions on Finland (that had been weird twenty minutes).

Link got out of the car, crossed the street and took the two steps to the entrance of the restaurant. He was just about to push the door open when he suddenly froze.   
There are _steps_ at the _entrance of the restaurant. You fucking idiot._ No trace of a ramp or any other wheelchair-accessible feature.

Wow, their date hadn’t even begun and he’d already managed to find the first big sandtrap. What kind of place was this even? He’d thought that every public space was accessible nowadays.

With a knot in his stomach Link went inside.

“Hi, I made a reservation for Nea?”

The waitress smiled and nodded.

“Yes, sir, just one question. There is a… gentleman at your table, he says he is your date?”

Thank god, he was there.

“Oh, yeah, that’s right.” The girl gave him a quizzical look that somehow, deep inside, made Link hate her a little bit.

“I’ll show you to your table.”

  
She took Link to a quiet corner of the dimly lit room, gesturing to a table for two. And there he was. Rhett was even more handsome than on the picture Link had seen. He was wearing a dark green button-down, and his wavy hair was shining in the warm light of a table lamp. He looked about as nervous as Link felt, too, because he kept checking his reflexion in the back of a spoon.

Link’s heart raced as he walked up to the table.

“Er, hello” he said, waving his hand awkwardly.

Rhett’s head shot up and and a broad smile broke out on his face, his soft beard moving with his lips.

God, he was perfect.

“Hello!” Rhett said. He stretched his hand out over the table. “I think I won’t get up” he remarked when Link took it.

It was a lame joke, but Link was grateful for it. It took some of the tension away.

He laughed and sat down opposite to Rhett. The blond’s lower half wasn’t visible, but Link supposed that someone had just removed the normal chair so that he could sit at the table in his wheelchair. 

They looked at each other for a minute, just taking in the other one’s presence.

“I can’t believe we’re finally meeting in person.” Rhett shook his head with a smile. “It feels like I already know you so well and at the same time—“

“I know, right? I got so used to our texting over the last days. But it’s lovely to hear your voice, and to see your face instead of a phone screen and you’re soxxxx real and…” Link went silent, his breathing heavy. He looked down at his lap and realised that his hands were clutching the table cloth so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Well, he’d managed at least two minutes before he’d spoiled everything. _Way to go, Neal._

“… and I think now you can see why I haven’t been a big success dating offline.” His voice was raspy, and he refused to look up at Rhett. He hated himself so much.

“Hey. Link, could you look at me? Please?” 

_In, out, in, out._ Link lifted his head and looked at Rhett.

“Link, believe me, I am just as nervous about this as you are. All this flirty comments I made over the last week, all the confidence? I freaked out over every single emoticon I sent; thinking I might have scared you off for good whenever you didn’t reply for a couple of minutes.”

Link couldn’t help but smile at the thought of them, two grown men tapping away at their phones like teenage girls. He already regretted his out-break.

“Could we just start over again?” Rhett asked with a pleading tone in his voice.  
“Yes, of course. I’m sorry I acted this way just then.”

“It’s all right. Just— just remember I already like you, okay? You don’t have to make a good first impression here.”

“Thank you.” Link smiled at Rhett who smiled back. It was the first time that someone was so cool about his quirks. 

“So… you got here all right?” Link had suddenly remembered the steps at the door to the restaurant. 

“Yeah, sure, traffic was surprisingly smooth for a Friday night. This place is very nice” Rhett said glancing around the dimly lit, bistro-inspired room. The tables were small and scattered across the restaurant, fresh flowers and brass lampshades creating a cosy atmosphere.

“Mm, I didn’t want it to be too formal— I didn’t really care about the restaurant. Sorry, that came out wrong. I meant, isn’t this just an excuse to meet each other? We could’ve booked a parking spot at the nearest In’n’Out for all I care, as long as I got to see you in person.”

  
At first Rhett looked surprised, then a bright smile spread across his face. “I feel the same.” And there was another moment like the one a few minutes ago, in which they just stared at each other, both marvelling at the other one’s presence.

Rhett broke the silence by grabbing his menu and proclaiming that, as lovely as this was, he wasn’t completely opposed to the idea of something good to eat.

“Yeah, sure” Link agreed and opened his own menu, his mind still on the darn steps.

The menu was entirely in French, which Rhett found hilarious and prompted him to place his order with grand gestures and a terrible French accent. Their pretentious waitress looked seriously pissed by the end, and Link had to cover his wheezing laughter with a cough.   


They chatted about their work days for a while, the conversation now effortlessly linked to their text messages. The wine arrived, and they clinked glasses. It felt like a scene from a perfume commercial, and Link was reminded that he, Link Neal, was having a very real, very sophisticated date with a very real man. 

When they’d almost finished their entreés (mussels in tomato sauce for Rhett, baked camembert for Link), he finally asked about the steps.

“I’m so sorry” he said, “I really should’ve checked before…”

“Wait- do you mean the steps at the entrance? No, that’s absolutely no problem at all. Don’t worry.”

“But there’s no ramp or anything?”

“Well, I don’t have these ones for nothing, do I” Rhett grinned and raised his right arm to show off his large biceps. “They get me everywhere I want, man.”

“Oh, okay.” Link was mortified. He shouldn’t even have asked, because now he’d made it look like he didn’t think Rhett could handle things on his own. He picked at the chopped vegetables that were left at the bottom of his soup bowl.

Rhett snapped his fingers in front of Link’s face to get his attention. “Hey. I told you that you can ask me anything. I don’t want you to feel awkward about this. Trust me, talking openly is always better than wondering and imagining all sorts of things.”

Their waitress returned and took their plates away. He waited until she was gone before he spoke up. 

“So… you can get up stairs with you wheelchair?”

“Well, I wouldn’t love to climb the Chrysler Building like this, but yeah, I can manage a few steps just fine. Actually, the house where I live has got four doorsteps.”

Link wanted to know how he did it, but he also wanted to know so many other things. 

“Er… how do you drive your car?” That was a good question. Neutral.

“My car has hand gas. It’s a simple mechanism, basically just a hand gear that’s connected to the pedals. I push it down to accelerate, and when I wanna brake I push it up. And there’s something that looks a bit like a joystick on the wheel, so that I can steer with just one hand.”

“And you play basketball?”

Rhett smiled happily. “Yes, I do. My team is on track to win the championship. If we make it, I might be able to go to the Paralympics in autumn.” He was obviously very proud of his sport.

“Wow, that’s amazing! You gotta be real good.” It was actually pretty impressive. As a child Link had always watched the Games on television, both the Olympic and Paralympic. He had often wondered how anyone could summon the strength to put so much of his time and energy into a single goal. Link himself had never aimed for great goals. Mediocrity was what kept him calm, helped him organise his life. However that didn’t mean that he didn’t admire the people who did.

“The sport is not that big y’know, I’m no Dirk Nowitzki or anything” Rhett replied modestly.

“Don’t say that! You’re an internationally competing athlete, you just jumped three levels up on the hotness scale.” Link realised that he’d said that out loud, and blushed deeply. “I mean— er, gosh…”

The man opposite him beamed, scratching the back of his neck in a way Link already found adorable.

“Ya— ya think I’m hot?” he asked in a hopeful, excited voice. 

Link was too happy (and he’d had too much wine) to pretend right then. “Of course!” he blurted out. “Have you had a look at yourself? You’re fit, you’re a sporting ace and that beard? What could you do to be any more perfect?” His voice had gotten quite loud, and he quickly shut up when he saw the waitress approach with their main course.

But boy, it felt good to get that out.

“Well, would it help if I said that I play the guitar?” Rhett said as soon as they were alone again.

“Wow, now you haven’t made me feel like a total loser, have you” Link mumbled.

“You’re kidding me, right? No matter how many instruments I play, I’ll never be as gorgeous as you are, man.”

“Really?” He almost whispered. 

“Listen, when I saw the picture you sent, I completely freaked out. Before, I worried that you might be an old perv-“

“Oh, thanks.”

“- or somethin’ but that photo… I mean, what are the chances of meeting a nice guy in this city anyway, but one with eyes like sapphires and lips like that?”

Link felt himself blush once more, but this time he was not the only one. Rhett’s cheeks had taken on a deep pink colour, mostly hidden beneath his bushy facial hair.

They spent the rest of their meal absorbed by each other, barely noticing the people around them or the things they were eating.   
It was only later, when they were outside kissing with wine-stained lips and Link tasted Rhett’s mouth, that he remembered that they’d ordered _bœuf bourguignon_. In a bold move Link tried to chase that aftertaste of dark wine and roasted meat and licked into the blond’s mouth. 

The kiss was the best and at the same time the most awkward one Link had ever had. Leaving the restaurant had been fine, him following Rhett who’d very skilfully manoeuvred his wheelchair through the rows of tables. When they’d reached the door steps Link had been so upset about, the other man had just turned the wheelchair around and toppled over backwards. Link had shrieked in surprise, but only seconds later the chair had stood safely on the pavement and Rhett had smirked up at him. “Whatcha waitin’ for, old man?”

And now they were kissing and he didn’t know where to put his hands and his back was already hurting from bending over to reach Rhett’s face. Because even with his impressive height, sitting Rhett was still at least ten inches smaller than him. Link broke the kiss and straightened himself, grunting softly. “Oh man, this is gonna ruin my back!” He chuckled but immediately stopped when he saw the other one’s downcast expression.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you” he quickly said.

Rhett shook his head. “No, I get it. Listen, I know that this-“ he gestured down to his legs and the wheelchair “-is a lot to ask of someone. You don’t have to- I mean I don’t want you to think that just because we got on well on this app you’re obliged to be with me or whatever. This has been very nice, and I’m grateful for it, but I’m not mad if you wanna leave now and don’t come back.”

“What? No! I don’t wanna leave! Is that what you want?” Link’s heart was pounding. Was Rhett already breaking up with him before they’d even gotten together?

“Of course I don’t want you to go, Link, I’m just saying that if you do, I’d understand. You wouldn’t be the first one who doesn’t want to put up with me and” -another vague gesture- “y’know…”

Link interrupted him by crashing their lips back together, back pain be damned. He took Rhett’s face between his hands and looked into his eyes. “Then their stupidity is my gain. I wanna be honest here, okay? I don’t know much about your disability and how it could affect our relationship yet, and I can’t pretend that it doesn’t scare me; but if you think that there is any way that we can work this out, I want to try it. Together with you. ‘Cause you, Rhett, are the sweetest, funniest guy I’ve met in a long long time and I don’t want to waste the chance of somethin’ really special just because I’m afraid.”

Rhett nodded silently. A small tear was making its way down his cheek, and Link swiped it away with his thumb.

He didn’t know where this was going, but he suddenly realised that he’d been prepared for the ride ever since he’d first looked at the man in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whom does one have to give flowers and champagne to to get a beta around here? Let me know ;)
> 
> Also, again, all my knowledge about paraplegia is second-hand. If there’s anything wrong with the facts, tell me.


	3. Match Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter took a while, but I knew that I’d have the chance to go to an actual wheelchair basketball match this last weekend, and it really helped with this.
> 
> At this point I want to say thank you to everyone who commented on this or gave kudos! I’m amazed that my first real fic is getting positive feedback, and this fandom is just so terribly nice!

Saturday morning found Link in the parking lot of a big sports hall in an affluent neighbourhood. He was late, and most of the parking spots were already taken. He paid his Uber driver and walked towards the entrance, running a hand through his carefully styled hair.

A large poster on the wall next to the doors announced the ‘Match of the Season: California Rollers vs. Portland Pickers’.  
Link pushed the door open and stepped into a spacious foyer. As someone who didn’t like sports too much, Link had managed to avoid stadiums like this; however this place was exactly like he’d imagined it to be according to the movies. There was a long ticket desk, a coatroom with two bored teenagers working in it and several food counters that served pretzels and beer.

The room was crowded and he had to wait a few minutes in the queue until he got to the ticket desk.   
“Hello, there’s supposed to be a ticket reserved for Link?” Rhett had told him that he could get him in for free.   
The elderly woman behind the counter smiled friendly and opened a folder. “Yes, sure. Ah, Mr McLaughli reserved that for you. Are you his boyfriend?”

“Er…” Link wasn’t sure what to say. They hadn’t really discussed their relationship status yet. The woman seemed so excited though. “Yes, I guess.” He chuckled nervously. It felt kind of nice to be the partner of a player at a sports event like this.

“He’s such a nice man, isn’t he? And he seemed really excited about you coming today.”

Link’s heart jumped happily. “He’s very nice, yes.” He smiled and thanked the woman again.

He grabbed a soda at the food counter and walked into the main hall of the arena. The stands were already filling, and Link looked around the bright stadium to see if he could spot Rhett somewhere. He saw him together with a bunch of other players near the field. They were all wearing identical purple jerseys ( _still a horrible shade_ ) and seemed to be laughing at something. Link approached them, feeling anxious at once. He just wasn’t the kind of guy who was comfortable around ‘real dudes’ with their bar-hopping and their raunchy jokes. He was more the nerdy, quiet type who stayed in to watch movies or read. It was no coincidence that this was his first time at any sports-game-event-thingy.

And Rhett’s teammates were real dudes, judging by the sleeve tattoos some of them were sporting. 

“Er, hi! Hi, Rhett.” Heads turned around to witness one of the top ten most awkward hand waves of Link’s life.   
“Hey Link.” R smiled the wide smile he seemed to have reserved especially for him. 

“Who’s this now?” one of the guys -a bulky man with red hair- asked with a glance at Link who, all of a sudden, felt very self-conscious. His glasses were too big, his t-shirt was too tight and his hair had too much product in it.   
He picked at the hem of his tee and wondered what had made him think that the Stormtrooper print would be a good choice.

“This is L, my…” Rhett hesitated, and Link remembered what he’d told him about the comments he sometimes got because he was gay. Maybe he wanted them to pretend they were just friends? This was mortifying.

“… my date?” Rhett looked at him as if asking for affirmation and he nodded. There was a round of looks being exchanged between the basketball players.

“Well, let’s hope you don’t screw this game up then, McLaughie. Wouldn’t wanna make a dick of yourself in front of your sweetie-pie here, right?” The men laughed and Rhett shot an apologetic glance at Link, scratching his neck abashedly. 

“Yeah, anyways… great to meet you guys! Rhett, you got time to show me around a little?” 

“Yes, sure! I’ll be back in a minute, boys.” Rhett said, breaking away from the group. “I’m really sorry” he muttered as soon as they were out of earshot. “They get excited, y’know.”

“S’all right” Link replied, even though it wasn’t really. He felt as if he’d embarrassed the other man somehow.

“I’m so happy you’re here, Link. I’m gonna play extra hard and extra fast today, knowing that you’re watching.” Rhett put his hand on Link’s arm and the dark-haired man immediately felt better.

“Hey, look at that! Is this your sports wheelchair?” He only noticed then that the other one wasn’t sitting in his usual chair, but a silver model with slanted wheels instead. It looked almost futuristic.   
“Yeah, this one here allows me to go much faster and it’s much more stabilising.” Rhett made a few quick moves to demonstrate the chair’s facility. 

“Looks quite racy” Link commented, but feeling his eyes drawn towards Rhett’s exposed arms rather than the chair. He seemed to have developed quite the soft spot for long, well-toned arms lately.   
“So, this is where you play.”

“Yes, exactly! We also practise here twice a week.”

“To be honest, I’ve got no idea what’s gonna happen now. I never watched a basketball match before. It’s kinda exciting, isn’t it?!” Link took a sip of his soda and looked around the hall, suddenly feeling abuzz with all the people and the unusual surroundings. Maybe sports weren’t so bad after all.

Rhett smiled amusedly. “It’s not witchcraft, Link. The only thing you’re about to witness are ten grown-ups in movable seating accommodations racing over a field, trying to get a ball into a tiny loop. The scoreboard will tell you the rest.”

“Okay” Link said and hooked his pinky into one of Rhett’s, enjoying the contact. Then he realised how couple-y that must look and he quickly drew back. Rhett frowned. “What’s up?”

“Well, won’t your teammates give you crap for… _that_?” Link motioned between the two of them, indicating how close they were standing.

It was obvious that what the blond was thinking was ‘They will’, but what he said was “Who cares?”, and he pulled Link down into the kiss they’d both been itching for for minutes.

“I like that shirt” Rhett whispered into Link’s ear before he gave him another peck on the cheek and released his face.

“Not too tight?” Link mumbled.

“Perfect.” Rhett replied with a smirk. “Got to have something nice to look at when I’m on the court, right? To motivate me.”

“Too bad I left my poms at home.”

“Real shame, I was-“

  
A yell disturbed their quiet talking. “Hey, Rhett!” A man in his early fifties in a basketball wheelchair and with a whistle around his neck waved impatiently. “Quit making moon-eyes at that poor guy and come here! The championship is not gonna wait for you to finish making out you know!”

Link blushed deeply, but Rhett just shrugged. “Coach has got to fire us up a bit. All right, you have fun watching, I’ll see you later.”

Link nodded and touched Rhett’s face for a second. “Good luck, hun.” The pet name slipped out against his will, but if Rhett noticed, he didn’t seem to mind. It felt surprisingly natural, neither forced nor premature.

“Thanks.”

  
The match went by surprisingly quickly, and contrary to Link’s fears it wasn’t the least bit boring.   
The points came quickly, and it was mesmerising to watch the players spin and turn in their chairs. He couldn’t remember the regular version of basketball being this rough; there was a lot of shoving and T-boning going on, and Link winced every time two players crashed into each other before he remembered that they probably didn’t feel it anyway.

It was so athletic, the way they all managed to control their chairs and the ball at the same time, and Link couldn’t take his eyes off R. His muscles were flexing every time he threw the ball, his skin was glistening with sweat and his hair had fallen down into a mess. He seemed to be one of the top scorers, sinking basket after basket, and when the half-time break came Rhett’s team was in the lead with 28- 22.

Link practically ran outside to get another drink, not wanting to miss a second of the match. The atmosphere was great, with people clapping and cheering their team on. The second set of quarters went fine and the home team won with a 10 point lead.

Link had lost focus a bit by then, but when the whistle went and he realised that the players and fans in purple were celebrating, he threw his arms up in the air and gave a whoop of joy. He quickly lowered them when he noticed the people around him (all dressed in the guests’ yellow, as he only noticed then) staring at him. With a quick apology he took a step backwards and hurried down the steps of the stands.

  
Down by the court Rhett came towards him, a big smile on his flushed face. “So, what do ya think? Was it very boring?”

“Are you kidding? That was great!” Link was bouncing on his feet. “I didn’t know that sports could be this- thrilling.”

Rhett’s whole face lit up. “Really?” he asked. “I’m glad you like it, because it’s such a big part of my life and I really want you to…” He went silent and his the red on his cheeks turned even deeper.

“What do you want me to?” Link’s voice was teasing, but his heart was beating fast. Rhett opened his mouth and closed it again. He shook his head slightly before looking up at Link.

“Kiss me?” he mumbled, hopeful.  
Obviously, that wasn’t what he’d wanted to say before, but Link didn’t mind when he tilted his head to give Rhett a long, slow kiss. His hands found the other one’s firm arms and he pulled back with a giggle.  
“Man, you’re sweaty!”

“Yeah, sorry. I’ll go shower real quick and then— I mean, if you wanted— we could go out and eat something together? I’m free for the afternoon.”

Link wanted to tell his stupid heart to beat slower because he was having a hard time hearing his own thoughts over its stupid thumping, but it wouldn’t listen. He felt like a sophomore girl who’d just been asked out by the coolest senior of the school, which was a ridiculous thought because he was a 35-year old man with a degree, but still…

“Link?”

“What? Oh yeah, I’d love to, _yes_ , please.”

Rhett scratched his neck in his signature move (‘adorable’) and grinned. “Okay, great, I’ll meet you in the foyer in a minute, yeah?”

Link simply nodded and went outside where the nice woman from before was still behind the counter. “So, did you like the game?” she asked pleasantly. 

“Yes, it was great. It’s much more exciting than I’d have thought. It’s a bit physical though? I thought someone would break a bone!”

The woman nodded in agreement. “I’m always worried about my Steve. He’s my grandson, number fourteen” she explained. “Last season he broke a shoulder and couldn’t move his own wheelchair for weeks.”

Link had seen the number 14, a small young man who’d scored a few times. “He played well” he told the woman with a smile. She seemed sad all of a sudden.

“He loves playing. It’s the only thing that helped him back up after the accident.”

“Oh, he…”

“Yes, he was snowboarding and- well…”

Link realised that he’d never asked Rhett how he’d become paraplegic. It seemed like a very personal thing to ask, but he hoped that Rhett would tell him of his own accord some time.

“That must’ve been very hard for your family” he told the woman sympathetically.

She gave Link a secretive look and took his wrist. “You have to look after your beau, you know. I know how it is for young men with disabilities. They overcompensate, play it cool. They all like to think they’re strong and independent, and most of the time they are… but they break just as easily as everyone else.” She stared insistently at him. “Do you understand?”

Link could only nod before Rhett’s voice came from behind them.

“Hi Lauren! May I snatch this young man from you, or did the two of you have plans for the afternoon?” He lifted his eyebrows at their conspiratorial whispering.

The woman -Lauren- laughed, the earnestness gone. “No no, you take him, my boy! I don’t think he could bear to spend another five minutes away from you!” She shooed them through the foyer and out of the door. “Have fun!”

Outside, they stopped at Link’s car. Rhett had changed into jeans and a flannel shirt, and his wet hair smelled of shampoo. Something citrusy and… quince, maybe?

“So, I thought since the weather’s so nice, we could walk somewhere?” Link grimaced. “I mean, not _walk_ , er…”

Rhett laughed good-naturedly. “The term is just fine, Link, don’t worry. Remember, you can say and ask anything, and if it seems offensive to me, I’ll let you know.”

They went to a nearby coffee shop, and after a couple of minutes they slipped back into their easy conversation and joking. Link was surprised how quickly his nervousness faded once they were alone and they clicked like two old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a while.  
Rhett was into cheesy jokes big time, and he lost it when Rhett yelled at a by-passer who’d bumped into his knee. The poor guy blushed and apologised over and over, and Link laughed at his alarmed expression, because of course Rhett hadn’t felt a thing in his knees.

It took some of the tension off of Link to see Rhett make fun of his situation, even though Lauren’s words were still nagging at the back of his mind. Could Rhett really have insecurities hidden underneath his confident personality? He had so much more poise than Link; his self-assuredness and boisterous laughter were actually some of the things that made Rhett so attractive to him.

They got their drinks (Link making a mental note that Rhett didn’t like coffee) and sat down at a table, though not before the overzealous barista had removed the chair they wouldn’t need with much fanfare.  
“It’s fine, man, really” Rhett tried to stop the boy from fussing. “I can do it myself, honestly, thanks.”

“Are you sure, sir?” The barista was speaking to Rhett, but he looked at Link while doing so. _As if I’m Rhett’s caretaker or something._ He hated the implications of that, and scowled at the guy.

“We’re fine, could you just go, please.” His words came out much harsher than he’d intended. The barista winced and turned back to the counter.

“Hey, he’s only trying to help, Link.” Rhett said softly.

“Does that happen often?” It had to be exhausting, people making a fuss everywhere Rhett went.

He shrugged. “A lot of people have good intentions. It can be a bit overwhelming, but it’s better than being stared at, y’know.”

“Hm.” Link wanted to ask more, but Rhett seemed eager to change the topic, so he dropped it. 

“So… I wanted to propose somethin’.” Rhett had taken Link’s hand and was playing with the small signet ring Link wore on his little finger. It was golden with a silver engraving, and it clashed horribly with Link’s otherwise geeky attire, but it was family heirloom and his mother had cried when he’d taken it off once.

“Propose? Gosh, you’re eager, man!” Link watched the other one’s cheeks flushing.

“No no! Stop it!” Rhett laughed. “I just meant that now that my team is second of the league and the season finals are coming closer, our manager told us that we’d have extra-training and that means that I won’t have much time for _this_ the next weeks.” He gestured between him and Link. Link’s heart dropped a bit. _He doesn’t want to see me again._ “So” Rhett continued “I thought maybe we could go somewhere for a couple of days? Just the two of us, outside of the city maybe… I’d really like to spend some time with you before things get crazy at work.”

“What?” Rhett wanted to spend an entire weekend with him? Outside of the city? Images of a snowy mountainside, a cabin with a fireside whirled through Link’s head. _It’s 80 degrees outside, dumbbell._

“You don’t want to. That’s cool, yeah, it was a stupid idea anyway, why would you want to go on vacation with a guy you met only a few weeks ago…” Rhett tried to draw his hand back, but Link quickly held it in place.

“No! I want to, I’d love to go on vacation with you. I’m just surprised is all.”

Rhett’s smile was back and Link had to grin back.

“Great! So, a cousin of mine has a sort of cabin in the hills” ( _No way_ , Link thought) “and he’d give it to us for the next weekend. It’s nothin’ fancy, but it’s super cosy and quite secluded… Wait, that sounds creepy…”

“It sounds perfect. When do we go?”


	4. First time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are looking for steamy smut, turn around now. This chapter doesn’t contain any of that, instead there’s lots of Awkward Sex™️ :)

By Thursday evening, Link was stressed out. He had a weekend bag lying open on his bed, and a number of clothes scattered around it. The pile had grown over the last hour as Link had pulled different outfits out of his wardrobe and thrown them away when he didn’t like them. It seemed impossible to find three sets of clothes he liked enough to take on his trip with Rhett. Would he need outdoor clothes or would something a bit smarter be better? Should he pack pyjamas or just a t shirt to sleep in? Everything seemed wrong to him, either too geeky or to fancy. Up until now, Link had been quite content with his wardrobe, but now that he wanted to look good for another man, for Rhett, he felt embarrassed about his graphic tees and boring sweaters.

In the end he settled for some jeans, simple button ups and a hoodie, just in case that it’d get cold.   
Mack was watching him packing and unpacking with mild interest, and Link suddenly remembered that he’d forgotten about something.  
He quickly grabbed his phone.

_Hey, is it OK if I bring my dog along? I totally forgot to get a sitter for him_

The reply came when Link was pondering over his sock decisions. 

_No problem! I’m looking forward to meeting him :)_

Link grinned. He was totally ready to watch Rhett play with his pup. Humming softly he went to pack an extra bag for Mack.

——

The next morning Rhett picked Link up at his house. Link had been curious about his car but at first glance it looked perfectly ordinary, just a blue wagon. He opened the passenger door and put his bags in the back before he sat down and pulled Mack into his lap.

“Hey” he smiled at Rhett who was sitting on the driver’s side. Rhett grinned back and leaned over for a kiss which Link happily gave him.

“Hello, handsome.” Apparently Link couldn’t survive two minutes in Rhett’s company without blushing, because that greeting had his face red in an instant. Rhett looked down into Link’s lap and his eyebrow shot up. “Wow. This has got to be the fattest dog I’ve ever seen in my entire life!” He petted Mack’s ample backside and the dog wagged his tail. “What have you done to this poor creature?”

Link pouted. “I haven’t done anything, thank you for your trust in my dog keeping abilities. I adopted him from a shelter, he was like this and nobody wanted him. Apparently the previous owners stuffed the poor guy and never gave him any exercise.” 

Rhett smiled. “It’s nice that you took him in.”

“Oh no, I have to be grateful that he’s here. I love him.” 

“I can see that.” Rhett started the car and Link gave the dashboard a curious glance. The steering wheel looked like the one in his own car except from a small gadget that was attached to it. It was like a control stick with different buttons on it and Rhett used it to move the wheel one-handedly. He noticed Link’s staring and asked: “Do you wanna know how it works?”

Link nodded and Rhett began to explain. “I call this the joystick, it helps me to steer with one hand. These buttons are for the horn, screen wipers, lights and so on, so that I can turn these on and off with the same hand I use for steering.” Rhett demonstrated it by pushing a button on the gadget that made the car lights flash. He pointed between the dashboard and the wheel where a stick was poking out from the footwell. It had a handle that was similar to the bottom end of a golf club.

“This is the brake slash accelerator. When I push it down, the car gets faster, when I push it up, it brakes. It’s a very simple me mechanism actually. It’s basically a stick that’s connected with the actual pedals. I could take it off and you could drive the car like a normal one.”

Normally, Link wasn’t particularly interested in cars but the engineer part of him couldn’t help admiring this simple yet genial technique. He loved watching Rhett drive, enjoyed sitting next to him in the car. It felt good to be on eye level with the other man.

The drive took them about an hour, out of the city and into a nature park Link had never been to. Rhett took a small road into the woods and they stopped in front of a rustic looking wooden cabin. “That’s it. My cousin’s a journalist, he comes here to work in peace sometimes.”

“It’s amazing, Rhett! Looks like something out of an Ikea catalogue.”

The tiny house was surrounded by large trees and had a front porch with white rocking chairs. Even more than a scenery for Swedish furniture, the place seemed to be straight out of Link’s romantic dreams. As soon as Link opened the car door, Mack jumped from his lap and waddled off towards some bushes.

“Don’t you worry that he’ll run off?” Rhett asked while reached behind his seat and pulled his folded wheelchair from the backbench. 

“He can’t walk farther than twenty yards! Did you look at that pup?”

With practised movement Rhett opened his wheelchair and put it on the ground next to the car. Then he pushed himself up from his seat, muscles flexing under his shirt and practically swung into the chair. 

As soon as they entered the cabin, Link was met with a faint scent of resin and old… cigars, maybe? He sniffed and frowned, trying to recognise the smell.

“Yeah, sorry. My cousin’s a bit of a hippie-wannabe. Burns incense and stuff in here.” Rhett went over to the window of the cosy living room/kitchen space and opened it wide.

“It’s fine. I actually like the smell.” Link assured him and put his bags down by the worn leather sofa. He could see a decent sized bed in the adjourning room, along with a couple of bookshelves and chairs.   
Turning around Link caught Rhett’s gaze somewhere definitely below his navel, and he quirked an eyebrow when Rhett’s eyes snapped back up. 

“Er…” ‘ _Embarrassed neck scratch in 1…2… there we go_ ’ Link thought when Rhett reached up to his collar to perform his signature move.

“So, did you have anything in mind that we could do today?” Link asked to put Rhett out of his embarrassed blush.

“I thought that after we’ve put our stuff away we could go and get some groceries for the weekend? There’s a store not too far away and we’d get to see a bit of the landscape.”

“Sounds good.”

“And then we could… I dunno, watch a film, make dinner together?” When Link nodded enthusiastically, Rhett took a quick breath and said: “And tonight I thought we might… get comfortable?”

“Get comfortable?” Link knew exactly what the other one meant by that, but he decided to tease Rhett a little bit.

Promptly Rhett’s face flushed a whole shade darker and he coughed awkwardly. “Um, you know, er… shake the old doughnut factory?”

“What?” Link snorted, but by now he couldn’t hide his amusement any longer. Rhett noticed and started to grin as well.

“Yeah, I thought we could take Grandma to Applebee’s…” 

  
“Ew, Rhett, stop!” Link giggled but sat down on Rhett’s lap, straddling his thighs and holding onto his shoulders. 

Link felt his sides being grabbed by Rhett and pushed down on his crotch, while Rhett mumbled fake-seductively into his ear. “Will you let me stuff your taco, handsome?” 

Link laughed at his antics, but he was a bit nervous at the prospect of sleeping with Rhett that night. After managing to resist googling the topic, he really didn’t know what to expect from sex with him. What was Rhett able to do, to feel?

He stroked Rhett’s face softly and tried to let him know that he was serious again. “Can we… talk about it for a bit? I wanna know what— how—”

Rhett immediately sobered up and nodded. “Of course, hun. I wouldn’t want to do it without both of us aware of all the circumstances.”

“You wanna talk now?” Rhett scowled. “No, it’s not gonna be a very sexy conversation, is it? Maybe in the car?”

——

So they talked, in Rhett’s car on the way to the supermarket. Link watched trees and hills rush past the window and tried to think of a sensible opening line. ‘Yo’ dick’s performing or what?” didn’t seem like one of those.

Thankfully, Rhett spoke up first. “So… um, are you usually the postman or the letterbox?”

“Gosh, Rhett, do you know any of the normal terminology for these things or am I stuck talking to a six-year-old whenever it comes to sex?” As much as Link enjoyed the other man’s goofy jokes, he was anxious about their first time and wanted this conversation to actually answer his questions.

“Sorry, sorry.” Rhett grinned. “What I meant is: Do you bottom?”

“Yes.” He had occasionally been on top, but he much preferred it the other way around.

“Great. First disaster averted, ‘cause I only top.” 

Link nodded, relieved. “Okay. Is there anything else I should be aware of?”

“Um… you know I don’t feel anything from the hip? Most paraplegic guys don’t have… sensation in their private parts either.”

“Oh.” Link had a sinking feeling in his stomach. How could Rhett enjoy having sex with him if he didn’t feel anything?

“Howeveeeer-” Rhett stretched the word as if to leave Link in suspension. “- I’m extremely lucky and feel quite a lot down there. Not as much as other men, but definitely enough to enjoy myself.” 

“That’s great!” 

“Mmh. The thing is that the circulation in my legs is not entirely as it should be, so… I’m just gonna say it, I don’t really get that, um, hard.” Rhett started to blush and his fingers tapped nervously on the wheel. “Look, I’m usually very open about all this, communication is the key and all that, but with you I’m feeling— anxious. I really like you, Link, you are so sweet and attractive and I just feel like for once it really counts and I’m afraid you might think I’m not enough, that you realise you should be with someone who could really take care of your needs the way you deserve…” Rhett had the same defeated look on his face which had been there the night of their dinner date, as if he expected Link to bolt at any moment. Link had had enough of it.

“Pull over” he said firmly. Rhett shot him a worried glance and stopped the car off the road a short way into the woods.

Before he had the chance to ask why they’d stopped Link was already climbing into Rhett’s lap, straddling him and holding onto him like before. He took Rhett’s face in his hands and started to press kisses everywhere he could reach, determined to show Rhett how unnecessary it was to worry about Link not being attracted to him.

“You, Mr Athlete, are clever, and funny, and sexy.” He emphasised his point by grinding down on Rhett, being rewarded with a small gasp from the other one. “Please don’t talk about me finding anyone else anymore, hun. I think I’ll have my hands full enough with you for a while.”

Rhett gave him a cautious smile and a peck on his cheek. “Thank you.”

“And… could we stop with the talking for now and try some hands-on negotiating instead?” Link asked rubbing his palms over Rhett’s clothed chest.

“Babe we’re in the middle of the road in broad daylight! We shouldn’t-”

“C’mon” Link whined and tugged on the collar of Rhett’s shirt. “There’s not a soul around except for some deer and foxes. I wanna…” He pressed a trail of kisses on Rhett’s neck and pouted up at him, making a mental note of how affected Rhett was by his needy act.

“Um, fine… it’s just, I thought we could make it a bit special? I brought some candles and stuff.”

“Oh.” Rhett wanted their first time to be memorable. Link hadn’t thought about that, he’d wanted to be spontaneous and flirty. Now he felt like a tramp trying to get into Rhett’s pants. He slipped back into his own seat and said: “Yeah, I’d like to make it special. Candles, huh?” 

“Yes. I thought ‘a cabin built entirely out of wood, surrounded by trees? This needs some candles’.” Rhett smiled and Link laughed a little. “Okay. Let’s go to the store, yeah?”

——

You never really notice how much other people stare at persons with special traits until you stand next to such a person.

Link wondered if he used to stare at wheelchair users like that before he’d met Rhett. He felt the gaze of the other customers in the grocery store on them like a constant humming in his ear, and to his surprise most of the looks were directed at him, not at Rhett, especially since Rhett had kissed him in the pasta aisle a few minutes ago. He wanted to shout at the people, wanted to tell them that there was nothing to be seen here, just two guys shopping. 

Link didn’t, because he would die of embarrassment if he did. Rhett on the other hand was quickly fed up with the curious glances. When an elderly woman stopped her cart to watch the apparently terribly interesting scene of Link handing Rhett a box of eggs, he couldn’t hold back anymore. “Excuse me ma’am, would you like to take a picture so you can continue your staring at home?”

“Rhett!” Link said, cheeks flushing. The woman hurried away from them, mumbling something about ‘city fags’.

“What? Did you see the way she looked at us?”

“I thought you were used to that.”

Rhett shook his head. “I’m used to people noticing me, but… I’m not used to them staring at my boyfriend as if he’s crazy because he’s dating someone like me. Hey, what are you laughing about?”

“You just called me your boyfriend.” Link beamed, throwing a packet of spices at Rhett.

“Well… you are, aren’t you?” 

“Hm, that depends…” 

Rhett groaned. “Oh, come on! I’m a middle aged man, don’t make me ask you to be my boyfriend like a goddamn teen.”

“Okay, okay. We’re boyfriends.” Link smiled again, so much that his face began to hurt. I got a boyfriend.xxxxxx

His inner sophomore girl was in hysterics.

——

Back in the cabin they stored the groceries away and started on dinner. Rhett was a bad cook, but Link was probably even worse so they just prepared some pasta with tinned sauce.

Rhett had not been exaggerating when he’d said that he wanted the night to be special. Link returned from a quick bath to a dining table full of candles and a bunch of flowers lying on his plate.

“Wow.”

Rhett smiled nervously. “Too much?” he asked.

Link shook his head, picking up the flowers to smell them. “This is amazing. Did you bring all this stuff with you this morning?”

“Yeah. Hid the bag in the car boot.”

Link grinned and gave Rhett a peck on the lips. “You’re such a dork.” 

The conversation flowed easily while they were eating, and Link was happy to see that Rhett never seemed to grow tired of listening to him. He just nodded and chewed while Link went on a tangent about work, films or whatever else came to his mind.

Rhett finished his second plate of pasta while Link was still picking on his first one. “You ready?” he wanted to know, and when Link looked up he saw an impatient expression crossing the bearded face.

“Oh, now you’re eager?” he teased, putting down his fork. “What happened to ‘making it special’, huh?”

“Man, I’ve been eager since at least last Monday! I wanted to take it slow a bit, but I didn’t know you eat with the speed of a tortoise.” 

“Last Monday, yeah? Well, let’s not make you wait any longer then.” Link was trying his best to sound sexy, but he was sweating and felt his hands shake as he walked past Rhett in the direction of the bedroom. He really didn’t want to mess this up, and he’d never been exactly comfortable about sex.

When he’d almost reached the bedroom he heard the wheels of Rhett’s chair behind him. 

“So…” he asked once they were both in front of the rustic looking bed. He was beginning to panic again. _In, out. Breathe._

Rhett slung his arms around Link’s middle and buried his face in his belly. “Just relax, sweetie” he grunted into Link’s shirt. “It’s just us, you know.”

Link stroked Rhett’s hair. “Okay.”

His skin tingled when Rhett lifted his shirt up and began to press kisses along his stomach. The fingers in Rhett’s hair twisted and pulled, and Link’s mind finally stopped racing. He decided to just go with whatever happened now.  
Rhett gently pushed him back onto the bed and leaned forward to pull Link’s trousers down. He mouthed at the bulge in Link’s boxer briefs and Link couldn’t help but moan.

“Hun, hun… join me, yeah?” he asked and pulled Rhett towards himself. Rhett pushed himself out of the chair and lay down next to Link who immediately rolled on top of him. Buttons were opened and cotton dragged over skin. 

This was the first time that Link saw Rhett without pants, and he couldn’t help but stare. His legs were bony and skinny, almost skeletal. Rhett noticed his gaze and grimaced. “Yeah… that’s what happens when you don’t move your muscles anymore. Please- don’t look there, okay?” he said, trying to pull Link’s head away from his legs.

Link hated the nervous tone in Rhett’s voice. When they’d met he’d gotten the impression that Rhett was confident about his body, especially since he’d said that he’d even hooked up online before.

The more he got to know this man though, the more he discovered that there was uncertainty and fear underneath the loud laughs and silly jokes; and when Rhett used this voice Link knew he was concerned that Link would run away any moment. He was determined to show Rhett that he wouldn’t leave, no matter what this night brought.

“Please, let me see them.” Link lowered his hands down to Rhett’s thighs and stroked the pale skin. He kissed and licked his way down to the shins, making sure to let Rhett know how much he liked it. “They’re beautiful” he whispered and smiled up at Rhett.

“You can’t like them.”

“I can, okay? You like my grey hair, don’t you?” 

Rhett nodded. “It’s super hot.”

“See, you like it even though it’s one of the parts of me I’m embarrassed about. If you can like my hair, I can like your legs.”

Rhett sighed. “Okay. But why dontcha focus on up here a bit more? My poor abs are feeling all neglected.” He pulled his shirt off and Link swallowed. The years of basketball training had apparently shaped Rhett’s torso into a perfect mixture of soft flesh and hard muscles, and this time Rhett didn’t mind that Link stared at him. He was obviously proud of his toned arms and strong abs.

“Oh fuck.” Link hadn’t lied about thinking Rhett’s legs beautiful, but he knew that he’d mostly said that to reassure Rhett. These muscles though were one hundred percent hot; they made Rhett look like one of the male magazine models Link had jacked off to so many times. 

“I guess it’s my turn to be self-conscious now, huh?” 

“Don’t be silly, you’re so fuckin’ hot. Wanted to do this for so long.” Rhett let his hands roam over Link’s body, cupping the bulge in his briefs. He slipped his hands under the fabric and pushed the pants down before quickly doing the same to his own underwea. 

Link could see that, contrary to him, Rhett was only half hard and he suddenly remembered what the other one had said about blood circulation earlier. So, was that all that would happen? He wasn’t sure if they’d be able to have sex like this.

“Um, love I wan’t you to know that it’s absolutely okay either way, but is there any way I can help this along a bit? Or is it going to… stay like this?”

Rhett looked down at his crotch. “No, I can get more, but I need a little physical stimulation. Should have talked about this a bit more. Maybe you could touch me? Here?” He pointed at his inner arms. 

Link raised his eyebrows.

“Er, you know that there is more than one erogenous zone on the body? When you have a SCI, other parts of you become more sensitive, and for me it’s this part.”

Link didn’t have the patience to process what Rhett had just said, all he understood was ‘touch me’ and ‘more sensitive’, and giving some attention to those toned arms was really no burden for him, so he tilted down and started to suck at the inside of Rhett’s forearms, drawing a sigh out of Rhett. He kept touching until he felt the other one’s member grow beneath him, digging into Link’s belly.

“There we go” he gasped and pulled away.

Rhett smiled at him, apparently delighted by the fact he had a nearly full erection. “Wow, Link. It normally doesn’t work that well, fuck. You’re amazing.”

Link felt a blush creep up his chest. “Really?”

“Uh, yeah. I haven’t been this hard without any helpers since... forever.”

“Helpers?” Link frowned, his tongue lapping at Rhett’s arms again.

“You know- hm, right there- viagra and the like. Usually I at least need a cock ring.”

“Oh, how does that-” The thought of a cock ring excited Link, and he wanted to know more.

“Link! Enough talking now, yeah? I’m kinda ready now.” Rhett pulled him up for a kiss and started easing his fingers down to Link’s butt. Link slapped them away.

“Nuh-uh. No need for that.” He had prepared in the shower earlier and didn’t want to waste any more time now.

“Oh fuck.” Rhett grabbed a bottle of lube from somewhere and slicked himself up, Link watching his muscles flex slightly.   
Since Rhett was already lying on his back, it seemed natural when Link straddled him and slowly eased down on him, his eyes never leaving Rhett’s. The blond was still not fully hard, but he was girthy and Link swallowed when he felt the stretch.

They both moaned once Rhett was completely inside. Link took control, bouncing and grinding down on Rhett until he was panting and feeling dizzy. He closed his eyes for a while until he felt Rhett’s fingers gripping his hips and the dick inside him twitch in release. Just moments later he came too, Rhett’s other hand around him.

“Fuck, that was good.” He opened his eyes and looked down at Rhett. Immediately he noticed that there was something wrong. Rhett’s entire upper body was covered in a sheen of sweat, and he’d shut his eyes in a pained expression.

“Rhett, hun, are you all right?” Link slipped off of him and knelt down on the bed beside him. He put a hand on the sweaty skin and Rhett whimpered, his hands shaking. Link began to panic. “Hey, you’re scaring me. What’s up?”

Rhett opened one eye and tried to smile. “Don’t worry… is AD… just a minute sweetie…” He took a few long breaths before he opened both eyes and sat up. The shaking had stopped.

“What was that?!”

“I’m sorry, Link, that happens sometimes when I get overstimulated, like, well, like an orgasm. I get high blood pressure and headaches, but it only lasts for a couple of moments after the stimulation is gone. It’s nothing bad, I promise.” He tried to take Link’s hand but Link pulled back.

“So you know that you’ll get a painful seizure from having sex and you still let me do this? For god’s sake, Rhett!” Link wasn’t really angry, just worried. They were alone in the woods, what if Rhett really hah had a heart attack? The ambulance would take half an hour to get there.

Rhett shrugged. “It’s worth it.” He grinned. “You’re so sexy, I’d have ten seizures to sleep with you.”

Link couldn’t help laughing and he lay down beside Rhett and snuggled against him, ignoring the sweat on Rhett’s body. “That’s such a weird compliment.”

“So…” Rhett’s voice was apprehensive. “Was that all right for you? I mean, before I had an attack that ruined the mood?”

Link kissed his cheek. “It was very good, thank you.”

“I know it’s not ideal, but-”

“It doesn’t have to be.” Yes, sex with Rhett would definitely be very different to any sex he’d had befo. It would take time and communication to make it work for them both, but Link had a feeling that once they got there, it would be better that anything he knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AD (Autonomic Dysreflexia) is a real medical condition, it occurs in individuals with spinal cord injuries and causes hypertension and bradycardia.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on something I experienced in my family lately.
> 
> If anything seems offensive to you, let me know, but be aware that the opinions of the characters do not reflect my own beliefs.


End file.
